SUSSEX UNITED

METHODIST CHURCH May 2019

"For now the winter is past, the (snow) is over and gone. The flowers appear on the

earth; the time of singing has come." (Song of Solomon 2:11, 12) After this past Saturday, this

seems more like a hopeful thought than a guarantee. Jesus said, "God causes the rain to fall on

the just and the unjust." I guess that applies to snow as well. It's important to realize that for the

audience Jesus was addressing, rain was considered a blessing and the sun a curse. (Think

"Sun's Anvil" from Lawrence of Arabia) My dairy farmers in Barron County considered snow

a blessing, so long as it didn't interfere with planting or harvesting or combining or tilling, etc.

The moral of the story may be some gifts from God may hold mixed blessings, or be careful

what you ask/pray for because it may come at a time you hadn't planned.

Me? I love the month of May, but realize that it's often a mixed bag of . . . mixed

blessings. May is usually a pretty busy month, lots of events. Wisconsinites only have the

weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day to get it all done. There may be some wailing and

gnashing of teeth. I'm reminded of what Job said, "Shall we receive the good at the hand of

God, and not receive the bad?" (Job 2:10) Jesus taught that we can't always tell the weeds from

the flowers or the sheep from the goats. The legendary suffering that Job endured was all a part

of a transition to a much better life. (see Job 42) As my old friend John was fond of saying,

"Don't panic; it's organic." ("Organic" was considered a four-letter word in Barron County)

Many of the things we consider afflictions turn out to be catalysts for positive change.

What Charles Dickens said, "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times," turns out to be

true of many of our best times. Our best memories are often those of enduring the worst of

times. As the apostle Paul says, "suffering . . . produces hope, and hope does not disappoint."

So, even though it's May, "let it snow, let it snow, let it snow."

Pastor Jim

Scriptures & Sermon Titles

May 5 Psalm 30 John 21:1-19 "Gone Fishing!"

Communion

May 12 Isaiah 66:10-14 John 19:25-27 "What God Wants Us to Learn from Our Mothers"

Mother’s Day

May 19 Pastor Away Learning from His Mother

May 26 Joshua 1:7-9 Revelation 14:6-13 "A Call for Endurance"

Memorial Day

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE

May 5 May 12 May 19 May 26

Acolytes Kaylie Bromberg Rachel Sromalski Matthew Maher Jake Povletich

Ushers Eric Grismer Robin Grismer

Pete Kopfhammer Nancy Kopfhammer

Liturgists Pat Keller Marilyn Kral Jeff Jansen Martha Nelson

Fellowship Panera Jansen Family Eric & Robin Grismer

Baskets Native American Sunday

Veterans’ Services Veterans’ Services Veterans’ Services

1 WW 8-10am

2

3

Church in use 5:00 - 9:00 pm

4

Church in use all day

Volunteer at Food Pantry

9:00 - Noon

5

Worship Sunday School 9:00 am

6

NACLC Teacher Appreciation Week

7 WW 4-6:30 pm

NACLC FH 9-10 am

Crafts for a Cause 6:30 pm

8 WW 8-10am

9

Community Banquet 5:30 pm (no duties)

10

11

Inside Church Cleaning 9:00 - 11:00 am

Honor Flight Welcome for Ed

6:00 pm at Mitchell

12

Worship Sunday School 9:00 am

Mother’s Day

13

SUMWomen 6:30 pm

14WW 4-6:30 pm

NACLC FH 9-10 am

15 WW 8-10 am 16

17

18

19

Worship Sunday School 9:00 am

20

21 WW 4-6:30 pm

NACLC FH 9-10 am

Finance 6:00pm Council 6:30pm

Crafts for a Cause 6:30 pm

22 WW 8-10 am

23

No Community Banquet

24

25

26

Worship Sunday School 9:00 am

Youth to Thirsty Duck

27

Church Office & Noah’s Ark Closed

28 WW 4-6:30 pm

NACLC FH 9-10 am

29 WW 8-10 am 30 31

Youth OutingYouth OutingYouth OutingYouth Outing Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, May May May May 26262626 Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch at Church then bowling at at Church then bowling at at Church then bowling at at Church then bowling at The ThirThe ThirThe ThirThe Thirsty Ducksty Ducksty Ducksty Duck

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Indoor Church CleaningIndoor Church CleaningIndoor Church CleaningIndoor Church Cleaning Saturday, May 11 from 9:00 - 11:00 am

Join the Trustees for our quarterly cleaning of the inside of the church. Plan to bring any cleaning supplies or equipment that will make the job easier – mops, buckets, brooms, rags, paper towels, Windex, etc.

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Save the Date! Save the Date! Save the Date! Save the Date! SunSunSunSunday August 18day August 18day August 18day August 18 SUMC SUMC SUMC SUMC 3333rrrrdddd Annual Golf OutingAnnual Golf OutingAnnual Golf OutingAnnual Golf Outing Songbird Hills Golf Course

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Congratulations to Pete Kopfhammer Winner of the 2nd SUMC March Madness Bracket Challenge

He came from last place, forgot to choose a winner in the Final Four, and still came out on top! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May 9 (no duties) St. James Church May 23 No Banquet W220 N6588 Town Line Road 5:30 pm Menomonee Falls WI

Community Banquet is a free meal offered twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays at St. James Church to serve a nutritious hot meal and time of fellowship to any who choose to attend. Volunteers from community churches take turns providing the meals, serving and cleaning up. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Project Stars & StripesProject Stars & StripesProject Stars & StripesProject Stars & Stripes In recognition of Memorial Day, we are once again campaigning for our Veterans! The flag will be posted for the entire month of May at church on the wall near the elevator. The listings support our Honor Flight program as well as the needs of our veterans at Zablocki VA Medical Center. Please be generous!

You can purchase your gift cards through the SCRIP program or from your favorite vendor. Any and all contributions are openly welcomed! Simply put your donation in the basket under the flag or mark your envelope with your intention of the donation and place in the offering plate. As long as we know who you are, we can make sure you get a tax deduction for your contribution. Let’s give back to those that gave for us!

Honor Flight Honor Flight Honor Flight Honor Flight for for for for Ed KeckeisenEd KeckeisenEd KeckeisenEd Keckeisen

Ed’s flight is on May 11th. The “parade route” for general admission opens at 6:00 pm. Our Veteran will land between 8:00 and 9:00 pm at Mitchell. Let’s find a place to meet and save a space to welcome him home in style! I have flags! Bring your chairs, find a friend to carpool with, and let’s give him the warm welcome home he deserves!

Since our church’s involvement with this program in 2015, we have sponsored 5 flights. This is truly exciting to have one of our own be chosen!

Anyone interested should contact Natalie Hubbard at 262-246-3159. Anyone interested in providing rides or carpooling please let Natalie know by May 6th! I will send further details as I get them.

NNNNoah’s Ark Christian Learning Center (NACLC)oah’s Ark Christian Learning Center (NACLC)oah’s Ark Christian Learning Center (NACLC)oah’s Ark Christian Learning Center (NACLC) www.noahs-ark-sussex.org 262.246.9650

Noah’s Ark Christian Learning Center is Nationally Accredited through the National Accreditation Commission Association for Early Learning Leaders.

NACLC Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6 - 10 If you have adopted a teacher it might be nice to drop a note or card to them during this week.

The goal of Noah's Ark Christian Learning Center is to produce happy, intelligent, well-adjusted children. Here you will find a nurturing, educational environment for children of ages 6 weeks to 12 years. Classes include infant, toddler, preschool, 4-K, as well as before and after-school programs. We recognize that each child has unique talents, learning styles and personalities. Our highly-qualified teachers and staff are committed to working within each child's comfort zone to ensure optimal social, emotional and educational results. Classes are kept to a low student-teacher ratio. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Emmanuel Community UMC 24th Rummage Sale Saturday, May 11 from 7:00 am - 2:00 pm

N84 W16707 Menomonee Avenue, Menomonee Falls (3 blocks west of Appleton Avenue)

Hot Dog, Brat and Bake Sale • $6.00 Clothing Bag Sale

Items displayed by category in church rooms • Priced to sell • $4.00 Bag Sale from 1- 2pm Toys, games, clothing, sporting goods, furniture, household goods, holiday items, knickknacks, housewares, electronics, books, tapes, CD’s, tools, hardware and jewelry

Sussex Outreach Services 262.246.9860 www.sussexareasos.org

Items needed at the Pantry include canned peas, canned carrots, pasta sides, rice sides, boxed potatoes, canned Mandarin oranges, applesauce, jelly, jam, pasta (shells, mostaccioli), and juice (64 ounce bottles)

SUMC’s next volunteer day at the Pantry is Saturday, May 4 from 9:00 am to Noon.

8th Annual Community Fun Day Sunday, June 2 at Sussex Village Park Join us for our biggest fundraiser of the year. There will be live music, booths selling food, and activities for children such as face painting, bouncy house, games, prizes, hayride, fire truck, and more for the hundreds that attend. This is a free event for everyone in the community. Money is raised through valuable business sponsor donations, the raffle, silent auction and food sales. This event supports our food pantry and the programs we offer. Last year we served 452 families at our food pantry. We provide food, toiletries, clothing and housewares to over 1,000 clients who are seniors, adults and children. We have programs such as Summer Bonus Bags, Back to School Shoe Drive and Operation Backpack. SOS will continue to provide food, clothing, counseling, emergency energy and housing assistance, classes and workshops for our clients, and access to vital resources addressing the myriad of hardships and concerns experienced every day. While we are a small non-profit, we touch many lives in a meaningful way by offering these resources to those in need. Our community is stronger because SOS exists.

Knowledge of who we are and what we do grows and so does the number of people we lift up. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Coming Soon to the Sussex Civic Center Plaza

Rock-a-Thon Tuesday, May 21 from 11:00 am - 1:30 pm

Bake Sale • Cookout • Entertainment • Live vintage country/rock music by Jerry & Nora Celebrate Older Americans Month and support Senior Programs in our Community!

All proceeds from this event benefit senior programming.

Farmers Market Sundays June 2 - October 13 from 9:30 am - 1:00 pm

Featuring locally grown produce, honey, cheese, bakery, flowers and much more. Artwork and products from local artisans • Live music by local talent.

Details about weekly events are found on the Sussex Farmers Market Facebook page.

ERAs Senior Network 262.549.3348 www.ERAsWaukesha.org

A faith-based, community-centered nonprofit organization serving Waukesha County, Wisconsin

When volunteering with ERAs, you can decide how much or how little you would like to volunteer. When called for a specific task, you can say no if it does not fit into your schedule.

We Moved! Our new address is: 2607 N Grandview Boulevard, Suite 150

Waukesha WI 53188-1690 (In the Silvernail Woods Office Park)

Volunteer Opportunities

Spring Yard Clean Up: Gather your friends, coworkers, youth group, sports team, or family to make a difference in the lives of local seniors and adults with disabilities. Volunteers are needed during the entire month of May to provide outdoor spring cleaning assistance. Tasks include raking, clearing flowerbeds, and cleaning outdoor windows. Choose the location, date and time, and size of yard that works for you. Contact Marisa at 262.522.2402 or MarisaS@ErasWaukesha.org to learn more.

Friendly Visiting Be a friend to a senior or an adult with a disability who is isolated and looking for someone to talk to. Opportunities are available to visit with clients in their home on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. If you are interested, contact Judith at 262.522.2411 or JudithA@eraswaukesha.org.

Urgent Ongoing Need for Volunteer Drivers We are in need of more drivers to help transport seniors and adults with disabilities to their healthcare appointments and the grocery store. Worried about making a commitment every week? Only drive when you have the time! This opportunity is very flexible and can be scheduled week to week. Areas of need include Waukesha, Menomonee Falls, New Berlin, Oconomowoc, and Brookfield.

Sussex and Hartland Meal Drivers Deliver meals to homebound seniors in Sussex and Hartland weekdays between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. Mileage reimbursement provided. Must be at least 18 years of age, show proof of car insurance, and have a valid Wisconsin driver’s license.

Thrift Shop Help organize donations for various thrift shops that Eras partners with. Sort clothes, organize the shop and help clients pick out items for their families.

Volunteer from Home Call clients to talk with them or just make sure they are doing okay.

Dining Site Meal Packers/Servers Meal Packers work as a team to assemble trays of hot food, seal the trays with plastic wrap and place them in travel containers for drivers to pick up. Meal Servers dish up the meals for seniors dining in and serve them at their tables. Meal Servers will also clear tables and clean the dining room once lunch is finished.

Birthday Cards Volunteers of all ages decorate greeting cards for clients and senior volunteers in our program. 2,000 birthday cards are sent each year.

Volunteers age 18 years and older are welcome to participate in all programs as volunteers of ERAs Senior Network. Volunteers age 55 years and older are encouraged to become RSVP members. Special youth volunteer opportunities are also available.

ProHealth Care Community Education Classes Each month ProHealth Care offers a wide variety of Community Education classes and events. Classes help you make informed health care decisions and develop healthy habits. All classes and events are free unless otherwise indicated. Registration is required for all events. For a complete list of classes go to ProHealth’s website at prohealthcare.org/Classes.

SUMC SCHOLARSHIP CRITERIA

The purpose of this scholarship is to establish a fund to stimulate and perpetuate the Christian goals as set forth by the Sussex United Methodist Church for the development of strong morals, sound decisions and a sense of direction to serve Christ’s kingdom.

1. Available to all members of SUMC that are entering at least his/her third semester of post high school education in an undergraduate program. 2. The applicant will submit a 250 word essay that includes the following: A. Why he/she is seeking this scholarship. Financial need not be addressed. B. What are his/her goals in academia and how do these relate to the Christian morals with which he/she was raised. C. How the candidate expects to integrate his/her career goals with their faith journey. D. Where are you with your faith journey? E. What “Christian” activities the applicant has been active in for the past 12 months. 1. Volunteerism/attendance at SUMC or post high school programs. 2. Participation in activities outside of his/her normal curriculum. 3. The scholarship will be tied to evidence of hours of community service, attendance, service, and talents rendered within the past 12 months. These hours will NOT be linked to any curriculum

course studies. Signed documentation must be supplied at the time of application. This documentation will include phone numbers/addresses of appropriate persons that can verify the service(s).

4. Each applicant will submit to a personal interview with this committee regarding his/her fitness for the scholarship.

5. Each accepted applicant will also commit to a formal presentation of the scholarship award at a Sunday worship service amenable to both parties.

6. The scholarship recipient will also agree to give an update of his/her progress and faith journey one year after receiving the scholarship.

7. Scholarship fund dollars will be made directly to the institution of higher education. 8. Scholarship dollars will be granted at the end of SUMC’s fiscal year. (Disposition of funds will be

made for the spring semester.) 9. All applications and documentation for the scholarship are due by the post marked date of June

15th of the current year. 10. Interviews will be conducted during early August of the current year. 11. Notification of the scholarship recipient(s) will be made by October 1st of the current year. 12. This committee makes no decisions based upon age, race, gender, political or sexual orientation. 13. This committee reserves the right to hold funds from one year to the next if a suitable candidate

is not found. 14. There will be no guarantee of the amount of funds allocated each year from this fund. 15. Any party can contribute funds to the scholarship, but the Scholarship Committee will have the

final decision regarding disposition to candidates. 16. A formal criteria checklist has been developed to ensure that our choices are fair and amenable. 17. Documentation criteria can be snail mailed to SUMC, Attention: N. Hubbard, or emailed to

nh4@wi.rr.com. Questions can be directed to N. Hubbard @ 262.246.3159.

Opportunities for SUMC Nurture, Outreach and Witness (NOW)

Crafts for a Cause is a fun and friendly group who meet at the church twice a month on Tuesday evening to make prayer shawls, lapghans, and prayer squares. Please join us! If you cannot join us, please consider taking one of the easy patterns in the folder on the shelf outside the office and making something at home. You can also help by donating yarn. This month’s meetings will be Tuesdays, May 7 and 21 at 6:30 pm.

Prayer Shawls are available for you to take at any time. The display is set up outside the church office.

Prayer Squares are small knit or crocheted squares (about 18”- 20” square) to offer to those parents whose babies do not survive the birthing process.

Lap Robes are for persons confined to wheelchairs that are often chilly and appreciate a hand crafted blanket to keep their legs and laps warm. Blankets may be knit or crocheted. Size should be from 25” x 36” to 30” x 40”.

Kingdom Workers If you need help with a project around the house that you are unable to tackle yourself (cleaning gutters, washing windows, small painting projects), contact Pat Keller, Roberta, or Pastor Jim. Your needs will be assessed and a crew will be established to assist you whenever possible. If you are willing to assist when there is a need, let us know to add your name to the list.

Naomi’s Cupboard This ministry of caring for those recovering from illness or surgery is still active. If you need help as you recover, please contact Verda, the church office or Pastor Jim and meals and other help needed will be arranged. If you are willing to provide meals, please let us know to add your name to the list.

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Giving Funds to the Church Without Giving Cash

Amazon’s sister website Smile.Amazon.com offers the same goods, prices and shipping with a big bonus. If you sign on to Smile.Amazon.com and choose Sussex United Methodist Church as your designated charity a percentage of your Amazon purchases will be directly donated to our church. Just be sure you choose the church in Sussex, WI as there is another Sussex UMC in another state! Scrip gift card purchasing is a great way to benefit the church. There is a six page list of participating retailers that will sell you gift cards then donate a portion back to our church. You can get a copy of the Scrip vendors from the table outside the offices and choose your gift cards. Then give me a list along with a check made out to SUMC for the total and I can order the cards for you. Or, sign on to Shopwithscrip.com and set up an account for yourself. Make your account Presto Pay and order your cards online. Our church enrollment number is FC24B7A136863. You will need this number to designate your orders go to SUMC. Scrip will then take the correct amount of your purchase out of your account and deposit the profit right in our SUMC checking account. I will process your order and deliver your cards to you either way. Before I can process orders I do need a large enough quantity to cover shipping so the more people that order the more often I can order and the more profit we can make. We are going to designate the Scrip profits to specific needs within our church.

Questions? Please contact Debbie Jansen at 262.617.5748 or dandjjansen@sbcglobal.net. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Are you an Online Banker? Do you pay any of your bills online through your bank? Did you know you can set up Sussex United Methodist Church as a payee and a check could come weekly, bi-weekly or monthly - at no additional cost to you? This is a great way to support the well-being of your church.

Sussex United Methodist Church

Rev. Jim Altman, Pastor

N63 W23523 Main Street, Sussex WI 53089

Website: www.sussexumc.org

Office Phone: 262.246.3748

Office Email: sussexmethodistchurch@gmail.com

Office Hours: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Mon. Tue. Thur.

9:00 am - 12:00 pm Wed.

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Find Sussex United Methodist Church on Facebook to hear a hymn, read a summary of the sermon, and see what Scripture was read on Sunday. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you would like to have an article posted in our monthly newsletter, please submit it to the church office by the 21st of the month.

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PRAYER FAMILIES

The purpose of the prayer families is to share our concern and support at times other than during a crisis. Ways to do that are to include the person or family in your prayers during the week. You may wish to let them know that they are in your thoughts by sending a note, talking to them at church or a telephone call. The names are chosen at random, but sometimes seem by design, in that it has come at a particularly appropriate time for them.

May 5 Mary Ann Wolfe Bert McCaig May 12 Glenn & Roberta Gratz Bob & Erin Pechanach May 19 Elten Schmidt John & Sandy Scaffidi May 26 Joyce Outcelt Joyce England

May Birthdays

5 Roy Meissner 11 Mike Schmidt 12 Andrew Dow 13 Robert Blau 17 Don Edmonds 20 Mike Fuher 21 Elsie May Weyer 21 Tracy England 23 Shirley Edmonds 26 John Leidel 28 Joyce Zillmer

May Anniversaries 1 Bob & Erin Pechanach 6 Paul & Christine Maher 8 Carl & Karen Thomsen 10 Leo & Amy Brissette 16 Mark & Jennifer Johnson 16 Russell & Delores Naragon 26 Skip & Jane Burg

SUSSEX UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

N63 W23523 MAIN STREET

SUSSEX WI 53089

Sunday Morning Schedule

9:00 am Traditional Worship

9:00 am Sunday School (Sept - May)

Rev. James Altman, Pastor

sussexmethodistchurch@gmail.com

www.sussexumc.org

262.246.3748